Indian Tourist sites â In the footsteps of the Buddha - AU Journal ...

Dr. Adarsh Batra 

Indian Tourist sites 

– In the footsteps of the Buddha 

By 

Dr. Adarsh Batra * 

Abstract 

Across the world and throughout 

the ages, religious people have made 

pilgrimages. The Buddha himself 

exhorted his followers to visit what are 

now known as the great places of 

pilgrimage: Lumbini, Bodhgaya, 

Sarnath, Rajgir, Nalanda and 

Kushinagar. The actions of the Buddha 

in each of these places are described 

within the canons of the scriptures of 

the various traditions of his teaching, 

such as the sections on Vinaya, and also 

in various compendia describing his 

life. The sites themselves have now been 

identified once more with the aid of 

records left by three pilgrims of the 

past (The great Emperor Ashoka, The 

Chinese pilgrims Fa Hien and Hsuan 

Chwang). 

The practice of Buddhism 

flourished long in India, perhaps 

reaching a zenith in the seventh century 

AD. After this it began to decline 

because of the invading Muslim armies, 

and by the twelfth century the practice 

of the Dharma had become sparse in its 

homeland. Thus, the history of the 

Buddhist places of pilgrimage from the 

thirteenth to the mid-nineteenth 

centuries is obscure and they were 

mostly forgotten. However, it is 

remarkable that they all remained 

virtually undisturbed by the conflicts 

and developments of society during that 

period. Subject only to the decay of time 

* The author has a Ph.D. in Tourism from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (K.U.K.), 

India. He has published extensively in Tourism and Travel Magazines. Currently he is a 

lecturer in MA-TRM program in the Graduate School of Business of Assumption 

University of Thailand. 

46



they remained dormant, waiting for 

rediscovery. 

From the middle of the last century, 

the Archeological Survey of India, 

under the auspices of the British 

Government, and one Englishman in 

particular--General Sir Alexander 

Cunningham--unearthed and identified 

many sites. Since that time, owing to a 

renewed Indian interest in Buddhism 

and the devotion and hardship of many 

individuals, the pilgrimage sites have 

been revived. 

The following account is intended 

less to present a purely historical 

record of the places of pilgrimage than 

to offer some information and perhaps 

inspiration to other pilgrims, with the 

wish that this revival may increase. 

INTRODUCTION 

In 566 BC, in the little state of 

Kapilvastu at the foot of the Himalayas, 

was born a son, Siddharatha, to 

Suddhodana, a Sakya prince, and his 

wife Mayadevi. Seers proclaimed that 

the new-born would either conquer the 

world or be a Buddha- the enlighted 

one. The prophesy came true when 

Gautama attained Supreme Knowledge 

(bodhi) and laid the foundation of a 

religion which is today practiced by 

one-third of the world’s population. 

In India, it is pilgrimage which is 

the most important segment of domestic 

tourism. And yet India has failed to 

exploit the Buddhist angle, the most 

potential. Buddhism was born in India. 

But it almost disappeared from the 

country of its origin. It is , however, a 

major force in much of Asia – in China, 

Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, 

Singapore, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, 

Myanmar, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Nepal, 

Bhutan, Mongolia, and so on. 

NORTH EAST INDIA 

100 kms from Gorakhpur in Uttar 

Pradesh, Kapilavastu (Piprahwa) on the 

Gorakhpur Gonda loop-line with 

Naugarh (35 kms.) is the nearest 

railway station. The capital city of the 

Sakya clan, and one of the earliest 

republics, it was in Kapilavastu’s 

opulent environs, that the holy soul of 

prince Siddharth (Gautam Buddha) 

spent his childhood. Here he saw 

sorrow and pain, disease and death. 

Then, finally when he saw a radiant 

happy Sadhu who had conquered all 

these, he decided to renounce all 

worldly riches and pleasures to seek 

truth and embark on the path of 

salvation. The place holds significant 

value for Buddhist pilgrims and has 

several Stupas. The archaeological 

excavations have revealed stone caskets 

containing relics believed to be that of 

Buddha’s. 

Sarnath, about 10 kms. from the 

holy city of Varanasi, is the blessed 

locale where more than 2500 years ago 

Buddha chose to deliver his first 

ABAC Journal Vol. 23, No.2 (May - August, 2003), pp. 46 - 57 47


sermon, after attaining Enlightenment. 

The five disciples who had followed 

him were surprised to see the 

mesmerizing glowing countenance of 

Buddha, who then delivered his first 

sermon before them, now termed 

Dharamachakra Pravartan. This set in 

motion the great Buddhist tradition of 

the Sangha, for popularizing the 

teachings of the great ascetic, worldwide. 

Gautam Buddha with his five 

disciples formed the first Sangha 

alongwith Yasa of Varanasi and his 54 

friends. 

The beginning of the celebrated 

Mantra, ‘Buddham Sharanam 

Gachhami’, owes its origin to Sarnath. 

The three Jewels 

“ I go for refuge to the Buddha, 

I go for refuge to the Wheel of Law, 

I go for refuge to the Sangha” 

first laid down here, have remained 

unchanged ever since. Hence rightly, 

every Buddhist Pilgrim after Bodhgaya, 

endeavors to be blessed with a visit to 

Sarnath in his life time. 

Dhamekh Stupa bears particular 

significance at Sarnath as it signifies the 

“seat of the holy Buddha”, as he 

proclaimed his faith. It is about 34 mtrs. 

in height and including the foundations, 

it can be measured upto 42 mtrs. 

Besides Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath also 

has the ruins of Dharmajajika Stupa and 

that of the original Mulgandhakuti 

Temple which according to Hieun 

Tsang was about 61 mtrs. high. Buddha 

is said to have rested and meditated 

here while in Sarnath. 

Kaushambi, 54 kms from 

Allahabad, was visited by Buddha in 

the 6th and 9th years after his 

enlightenment. He delivered several 

sermons here, elevating it to a center of 

learning for Buddhists. Today one can 

see the ruins of an Ashokan Pillar, an 

old fort and the Ghositaram Monastery. 

The archaeological excavations here 

have yielded a large number of 

sculptors and figurines, coins, punchmarked 

and cast coins and terracotta 

sculptures which show the reverence 

the city was held in by the devout, in 

times gone by. All these religious finds 

of historical and archaeological 

importance can be viewed at the 

Allahabad Museum. 

Kushinagar ( Kushinagar of Yore) 

is a revered place for Buddhist pilgrims, 

55 kms away from Gorakpur. It was 

here that the Tathagata, the reciter of 

truth, breathed his last with the last 

words. "Behold now, brethren, I exhort 

you, saying, decay is inherent in all 

component things! Work out your 

salvation with diligence!” A temple 

dedicated to the event the 

Mahaparinirvana temple today stands 

amidst a serene ‘sal’ grove ......... as if 

still reminiscing the great demise. The 

huge statue of the Reclining Buddha 

excavated in 1876 at the temple, is one 

of the most momentous of all sights for 

the devout. It was brought form 

Mathura by a devout monk, Haribala 

during the reign of King Kumara Gupta 

48



in the 5th century AD. 

The whole of Kushinagar, since the 

Mahaparinirvana of Gautam Buddha, 

was turned into a memorial site with 

Stupas including the relic stupa- 

Mukutbandhana and Gupta period 

Chaitayas and Viharas, built by the 

devout kings. The Chinese travelers Fa 

Hien, Hieun Tasang and T. Ising visited 

Kushinagar during different centuries 

and recorded a graphic account of the 

place which later fell to bad times, due 

to lack of patronage. These recordings 

provided the vital clues for excavations 

done centuries later by Sir Alexander 

Cunningham. 

The visiting sites of Kushinagar 

fall in three categories: The 

Mahaparinirvana Temple, commemorating 

the place of the great decease 

with a reclining statue of Lord Buddha. 

Mata Kunwar Shrine contains a 10th 

Century blue schist image of Buddha 

and; Rambhar Stupa, which is 

supposedly the spot where Lord 

Buddha was cremated and his relics 

divided into eight equal parts. Apart 

from this, a Chinese Temple, a Buddhist 

Temple, a Tibetan Temple and the Indo- 

Japan-Srilanka Buddhist Center hold 

significant religious value for pilgrims. 

Situated 134 kms. from Lucknow 

and 29 kms. from Balrampur, Sravasti, 

the capital of the ancient kingdom of 

Kosala, has the honor for sheltering 

Buddha for 24 rainy seasons in the 

Jetvana Gardens. The city believed to 

be founded by the mythological king 

Sravast has age-old Stupas, majestic 

monasteries and several temples. 

Buddha is said to have performed some 

miracles here. This holy place also has 

the famous Anand Bodhi tree, an 

offspring of the one said to have been 

planted by Buddha’s main disciple 

Anand. 

EASTERN INDIA 

Bodhgaya, in the state of Bihar, 

reckoned as the most important 

Buddhist pilgrimage center, is the place 

where Lord Sakyamuni (Gautam 

Buddha) entered into mediation after 

being moved by the sufferings of 

mankind. The giant Bodhi Tree 

(Peepal) that we see today is believed to 

have grown from the original Bodhi 

Tree under which, sitting on the raised 

platform, Prince Siddharth mediated 

and finally attained Nirvana. 

Monasteries raised here by Burmese, 

Tibetan, Chinese, Japanese and Thai 

devotees, in their native architectural 

styles, are worth visiting. Then there is 

Chaukramana, the Jewel Walk, where it 

is believed that the Buddha strolled 

while in deep thought. 

The magnificent Maha Bodhi 

temple in Bodhgaya is an architectural 

amalgamation of many cultures. The 

temple bears the stamp of the 

architecture of the Gupta Dynasty and 

subsequent ages. On the walls of the 

temple, one sees Buddha carved in 

different aspects, and in the sanctum 

sanctorum, a colossal Buddha, is seen 



touching the ground, which has 

mythological significance in the 

Buddhist lores. The temple carries 

inscriptions recording the visits of 

pilgrims from Sri Lanka, China and 

Mayanmar. In the 7th and 10th 

Centuries AD Hieun Tsang, the Chinese 

traveler, also visited the temple in the 

7th Century. Finally a visit to the 

Bodhgaya Archaeological Museum is a 

must for a religious art lover as it 

initiates one into the age of Buddha’s 

centered art forms. The Buddhist 

sculpture collection from 1st Century 

BC to 11th Century AD is housed 

here at one place. Reflected through 

several art forms, it is more like a 

treasure house of artistic expression. 

Bodhgaya is 245 kms. from Varanasi 

and 178 kms. from Patna via Rajgir and 

Nalanda. 

A place of religious sanctity for 

Hindus, Gaya lies 12 kms. from 

Bodhgaya between Pretshila and 

Ramshila hills and is washed by the 

shores of river Phalgu. Gaya has a 

large number of Buddhist temples also. 

While Buddha was doing severe 

penance, he became weak, tired and 

hungry. He rested under a tree, where 

he was offered food by a condemned 

village woman named Sujata. To 

everybody’s surprise Buddha accepted 

her offerings. Legend has it that after 

having consumed the food, Buddha’s 

countenance assumed a divine glow and 

he realized the Supreme Truth; that 

neither extreme self indulgence nor self 

mortification is ever required. What is 

needed is to follow the Middle Path 

(Department of tourism). Sujata Sthan 

or Durgeshwari Temple stands as a 

symbol commemorating this event. 

Nalanda, 90 kms south of Patna, 

literally means the place that confers 

the lotus. It was one of the oldest 

universities of the world. It has nine 

million books, ten thousand students, 

two thousand teachers and was a center 

of great learning which reached its 

zenith between 5th and 12th century 

AD. Both Lord Buddha and Lord 

Mahavira visited this place. Emperor 

Ashoka built a Vihara, while Emperor 

Harshvardhan donated a 26 mtr. high 

copper image of Buddha and Emperor 

Kumar Gupta built a college of fine 

arts. In 1951, an International Center 

for Buddhist Studies was established 

in Nalanda. Nava Nalanda Vihar, 2 

kms from here, is a similar institution. 

The recent findings from 

excavations and the identifications of 

number of sites with Buddhist remain 

open up a new vista in the field of 

Buddhist Tourism in Orissa. Dhauli 

hill on the bank of the river Daya 

is a little away from the main road 

to Puri/Konark from Bhubaneswar. 

Ashoka changed his mind in favor of 

spiritual conquests in preference to war 

exploits after the Kalinga war which 

was fought here in the 3rd century BC. 

This place motivated the Kalinga 

Nippon Buddha Sangha to establish a 

peace pagoda or Shanti Stupa at Dhauli 

along with the construction of a 

monastery called Saddarma Vihar. 

50



Lalitagiri, the earliest buddhist 

complex of Ist Century AD, has a huge 

brick monastery, the remains of a 

Chaitya hall, a number of votive Stupas 

and a renovated stone Stupa at the apex 

of sand stone hill. At Ratnagiri, 

excavations revealed the establishment 

of a Buddhist center from the time of 

Narasimha Gupta Baladitya (first half 

of the sixth century AD). At Udaigiri 

excavations brought to light a sprawling 

complex of brick monastery with a 

number of Buddhist sculptures. Infact 

the entire area is found located at the 

foot hills of a large hill acting as the 

backdrop of the area. 

Rajgir, meaning “the Royal 

Palace”, (Raja Griha) lies 12 kms. south 

of Patna. Rajgir is a site of great 

sanctity and significance for Buddhists. 

The Gridhakuta Hill, in Rajgir, was the 

seat from where Buddha delivered 

many of his sermons. It was here that 

the teachings of Buddha were recorded 

in writing for the first time. An aerial 

ropeway takes visitors up the hill where 

the Japanese have built a beautiful 

Stupa. 

Ajatashatru’s Fort is another place 

of tourist attraction. The sculpture 

which depicts the ‘Parinirvana’, or the 

‘great cession’ of Buddha is another 

monument of artistic and historical 

importance. It shows the Buddha 

lying on his right side with the right 

forearm resting under his head to 

commemorate the final salvation or 

‘Mukti’, of the great founder of the 

Buddhist Faith. 

Sikkim is situated in the Eastern 

Himalayas, along the borders of Bhutan 

(East), Tibet (North), Nepal (West) and 

West Bengal (South). Its capital, 

Gangtok has a lot to see, specially the 

Research Institute of Tibetology, a 

World center for the study of Buddhist 

philosophy and religion and has a rare 

collection of Thankas, statues and over 

200 Buddhist icons. The Rumtek 

Monastery about 24 kms away houses 

the most unique art objects in the world. 

Enchey Monastery, near Gangtok, built 

almost 200 years ago, was blessed by 

the great tantric master Lama Druptab 

Karpa. 

Not very far from Bomdila in 

Arunachal Pradesh lies the Tawang 

Headquarters, a beautiful district in the 

center of which emerges the walled and 

fortified Tawang Monastery. The 

monastery overlooks the valley and is 

surrounded by mountains which seem 

to be guarding the valley and its 

inhabitants. Over 500 Lamas live in its 

65 residential buildings. One can 

witness a superb collection of ancient 

scriptures, images, Thankas and a 8 

meters high gilded image of Buddha. 

The monastery is locally known as 

Gompa, like any other and is believed 

to be 400 years old. 

Vaishali, believed to be the first 

republic of the world, having an elected 

body of representatives, holds special 

significance for Buddhist devotees. At 

Kolhua, Lord Buddha delivered his last 

sermon, hinting at his impending 

departure from the mortal world. Later, 



Emperor Ashoka erected a huge pillar 

to commemorate the spot where the last 

sermon was delivered. Vaishali was also 

the center of the IInd Buddhist Council 

congregation, held after 100 years of 

Buddha’s Parinirvana to discuss the ten 

points of Vinaya, the rule of conduct 

under dispute. 

Vaishali is famous for Amrapali, 

the beautiful dancer and courtesan of 

Vaishali, who offered Buddha a mango 

orchard and, impressed by his 

teachings, became a nun (Bhikshu). The 

excavations carried out in Vaishali have 

brought to light Buddha Stupa I(4th 

Century BC) and II, built in brick with 

a casket containing part of the ashes of 

Buddha. 

NORTHERN INDIA 

Popularly known as “Hermit 

Kingdom”, Ladakh is a land of snow 

carved peaks, translucent Lakes, 

barren terrain and mystic culture. 

Quite like Tibet it has a great 

Buddhist tradition which is evident 

from the high monk to people ratio 

of 1:8. It has about 13 major Gompas 

(Monasteries) of which HEMIS is 

considered the Gompa of Gompas. 

It has the patronage of the Royal 

Family. It is the most important 

monastery of Ladakh with a concealed 

entrance, a huge courtyard flanked by 

two big temples. In the month of 

June the famous Hemis festival is 

held, when a large number of tourists 

visit it. 

Alchi, a little village, 70 kms from 

Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, is known 

as a jewel among the religious sites in 

Ladakh. Abandoned centuries ago, this 

monastery has been lovingly 

maintained by the monks at Likhir, the 

nearest functioning Gompa. It is 

popularly known as Chos-kor and 

comprises 5 temples which are perhaps 

the richest in their collection of 

paintings and images in the Du-Khang 

(the Assembly Hall), and the three 

storied Sum-Tsek. Its murals, dating 

back to the 11th and 12th Centuries, 

predate the Tibetan style of painting 

which is found in all other Gompas. 

Some of them are reminiscent of the 

painting of the far off Ajanta Caves and 

are presumed to be almost the sole 

survivors of the buddhist style, 

currently in Kashmir during the first 

millenium AD. 

Sankisa lies in central Uttar 

Pradesh, 47 kms from Farrukhabad. It 

is believed to be the place where 

Buddha, along with Brahma and Devraj 

Indra (Rain God)descended after giving 

sermons to his mother in heaven. At 

the spot of descent stands a temple with 

a statue of the Buddha. The place is 

also known for a temple dedicated to 

Bisari Devi and an excavated Ashokan 

Elephant Pillar. There is also a colossal 

Shiva Linga here. A large fair is held at 

Sankisa in the month of Shravan (July- 

August). Nearest airport is Agra, and 

from there, one can travel up to Pakhna 

(12 km from Sankisa) by rail. 

52



Tabo : A gompa was founded in 

996 AD (Tibetan year of the Fire Ape) 

and the initiative is said to belong to the 

great teacher Rinchensang Po also 

known as Mahaguru Ratnabhadra. In 

June-July 1996, Tabo celebrated a 

millennium of its glorious existence. 

With breathtaking murals and stucco 

images, Tabo is often called “The 

Ajanta of the Himalayas”. And here is 

art that above all is born of religion and 

deep faith. 

The Tabo Monastery at a height of 

3050 Mts. is a complex that holds 9 

temples, 23 chortens, a monks chamber 

and an extension that houses the nuns 

chamber. This core is bounded by an 

earthen wall and encloses an area of 

6300 sq.mts. Just short of the complex 

are the contemporary monastic 

structures. On the sheer cliff-face 

above the enclave are a series of caves 

which were used as dwelling units by 

the monks and include an assembly 

hall. Here again, dim traces of the 

paintings that once adorned the rock 

face are visible. 

CENTRAL INDIA 

Sanchi is a serene hill crowned by 

a group of Stupas, monasteries, temples 

and pillars dating from 3rd Century BC 

to the 12th Century AD. The glory that 

was Sanchi, an ancient seat of Buddhist 

learning and place of pilgrimage, can 

still be experienced in its complex 

structures where many Buddhist 

legends found expression in the rich 

sculpture. The Buddha is not 

represented through figures at Sanchi, 

but through symbols, as was the 

tradition in the early period of 

Buddhism. The lotus represents the 

Buddha’s birth, the tree signifies his 

enlightenment, the wheel represents his 

first sermon and the Stupa represents 

his nirvana or salvation. The footprints 

and the throne denote the Buddha’s 

presence. Sanchi was virtually forgotten 

after the 13th Century until 1818, when 

General Taylor, a British Officer 

rediscovered it, half buried and well 

preserved. Later in 1912, Sir john 

Marshal, Director General of 

Archaeology ordered the restoration 

work at the site. 

WESTERN INDIA 

Dating back to the 2nd Century 

BC, the monuments at Karla are at a 

distance of 11 km from Lonavola and 

just off the Mumbai-Pune road. The 

magnificent Chaitya hall at Karla is the 

largest (124ft x 46.5ft x 45ft ) and most 

evolved example of its class. Three 

important features of the interior of the 

hall are columns of pillars, the roof 

vault and the great sun windows. 

There are 37 columns in all, of 

which 30 have interesting capitals 

showing prosperous men and women 

riding elephants and horses yet bowing 

in humility to the Great Buddha. The 

vaulted roof has wooden supports. This 

is the only place in India where 2000 

year old wood work can be seen. At the 



far end of the hall stands a Stupa, above 

which is held an umbrella, a symbol of 

royalty. The whole system of lighting 

depends on the enormous sun windows 

through which cleverly diffused light 

with its light and shadows gives a great 

sense of solemnity. 

The Ajanta Caves consists of 30 

caves including the unfinished ones, 

dating back from 200 BC to 250 AD. 

These caves are situated 104 kms from 

Aurangabad and 52 kms from Jalgaon 

Railway Station. The caves are cut from 

the volcanic lava of the Deccan in the 

forest ravines of the Sahyadri Hills and 

are set in beautiful sylvan surroundings. 

They were discovered accidentally by a 

British Captain, John Smith in 1819, 

while on a hunting expedition. Ajanta 

provides a unique combination of 

architecture, sculpture and paintings. 

Two basic types of monastic Buddhist 

architecture are preserved at Ajanta, the 

Chaitya or prayer hall ( Cave Nos. 

9,10,19,26 & 29) and Vihara or 

monastery ( remaining 25 Caves). 

These caves suggest a well defined 

form of architecture, broadly resolving 

into two phases with a time gap of 

about 4 Centuries from each other. In 

the Hinayana Phase are included two 

Chaitya Halls ( Cave Nos. 9 & 10 ) and 

4 Viharas ( Cave Nos.8, 12, 13, & 15 ). 

In the Mahayana Phase are included 3 

Chaityas ( Cave nos. 19 & 26 and 29 

being incomplete) and 11 exquisite 

Viharas ( Cave Nos. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 11, 15, 

17, and 20 to 24). 

Situated 42 kms north of Mumbai, 

near Borivili, the Kanheri Caves are set 

in the heart of the Borivili National 

Park. There are 109 Caves dating from 

Ist Century BC to 9th Century AD, each 

connected with a flight of steps. The 

most important one is the Cave No. 3 of 

the 6th Century which has the last of 

the excavated Chaitya Hall of the 

Hinayana Order. It has 34 pillars and is 

like a colonnaded hall 28 mtrs.x13 mtr. 

in dimension. These encircle a 5 mtrs. 

high Dagoba or Stupa and have 

carvings depicting elephants kneeling 

and worshipping the Stupa. The other 

important caves are, Cave 11, the 

Durbar Hall or the Assembly hall with a 

statue of the Buddha occupying the 

central place as in the case of idols in 

Hindu temples and also a number of 

cells for Buddhist monk. Cave 34 is a 

dark cell and has paintings of the 

Buddha on the ceiling. Cave 41 has, 

besides other sculptures, a figures of the 

eleven headed Avalokiteshvara. Cave 

67 is a big cell, with the figures of 

Avalokiteswara as saviour flanked by 

two female figures in the verandah. 

There are also images of the Buddha 

depicting the miracle of Sravasti. 

Bhaja has 18 caves belonging to 

the 2nd Century BC. Cave No. 12 is the 

largest and has a fine stilted vault. The 

last cave to the south has excellent 

sculptures including that of the famous 

‘Dancing Couple’. Bhaja Caves are 

located 12 km. from Lonavala and can 

be reached by an uphill climb of halfhour 

from the Malavali Railway Station 

54



on the Mumbai- Lonavala- Pune section 

of the Central Railway. 



SOUTH INDIA 

Nagarjuna Sagar, earlier called 

Vijayapuri in ancient times, is an 

important Buddhist site located 150 

kms from Hyderabad in Andhra 

Pradesh. It is named after the Buddhist 

Saint Acharya Nagarjuna and reveals 

one of the most outstanding Buddhist 

civilizations of the 3rd Century AD. A 

replica of the excavated site has been 

created and carefully preserved on an 

island known as Nagarjuna Konda. The 

excavations have uncovered 

Mahachaitya, the most sacred of the 

Stupas. An inscription in Brahmi 

characters states that the relics of 

Buddha lie within the Mahachaitya 

while others have revealed the 

existence of a Vihara and also an 

Aswamedha (sacrificial alter), besides 

tools from the Paleolithic and Neolithic 

ages. 

CONCLUSION 

The Buddhist Shrines of India have 

tremendous potential to attract large 

number of tourists from Buddhist 

Countries of the Far East and South- 

East Asia. Unfortunately due to lack of 

proper roads, road side amenities, other 

infrastructural facilities and inadequate 

promotional efforts on the part of 

tourism departments of both Central 

and State Governments, many such 

places are lying into oblivion. It is 

hoped that the recently inaugurated 

Indian Airlines flight between Bangkok 

and BodhGaya would greatly facilitate 

travel from Thailand for pilgrims to the 

place of Lord Buddha’s enlightenment. 

References 

Ajanta and Ellora, Domestic Tourism, 

Safari India, August 1999, New 

Delhi, vol. XXI No. 8, pp.: 11-14. 

Basham, A.L. (1966), ‘The Growth of 

Buddhism’, Religion: Cults, 

Doctrines and Metaphysics, The 

Wonder that was India, Canberra, 

pp.: 263-289. 

Department of Tourism, Government of 

Bihar, Buddham Sharanam 

Gachhami, New Delhi. 


India, Buddhist Sites in India, New 

Delhi, November 1997. 


India by India Tourism 

Development Corporation Ltd., 

The Buddhist Circuit, December 

1993, pp.: 23-32. 


Uttar Pradesh by Director Tourism, 

Uttar Pradesh Itinerary Guide, 

Lucknow, 1998, pp.: 29-32. 

Dev., A. (1993), The Heritage of India, 

The Story Of Civilization, volume 

two, published by National Council 

of Educational Research and 

Training (NCERT), New Delhi, 

pp.: 374-380. 

56



Inthisan, P.T. (2002), WAT THAI 

BUDDHAGAYA (on-line), 

Available:http://www.thanat.iirt.net 

/Wat%20Thai%20Homepage/index 

.html 

Makhfi, S.H.(1994), “Buddha’s Domain 

Rajgir & Nalanda”, Indrama, New 

Delhi, Vol. XIX No. 1, pp.: 2-7. 

Menon, M.S.N.(1999), “Importance of 

the Buddhist Circuit”, The Tribune, 

January 15. 

Luniya, B.N. (1989), Splendour of Art, 

in Life and Culture in Ancient 

India, Third Edition, Lakshmi 

Narain Agarwal educational 

publishers, Agra, pp.: 385-390. 

Sharma, P. (1994), “The Monasteries of 

Ladakh”, Indrama, New Delhi, 

Vol. XIX No. 1, pp.: 9-14. 

Tripathi, M. (2002), “Buddhism comes 

HOME to India”, Sunday Style, 

The Nation, August 4. 




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